Our Spiritual Leadership

Rabbi Roly Matalon

José Rolando Matalon was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was educated in Buenos Aires, Montreal, Jerusalem, and New York City. After his ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1986, Rabbi Matalon came to BJ to share the pulpit with his mentor, Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer. They worked together to revitalize the congregation and turn its focus to prayer, learning, service, social justice, and interfaith cooperation. After Rabbi Meyer’s death in 1993, Rabbi Matalon became BJ’s spiritual leader. He was joined by Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein in 1995 and by Rabbi Felicia Sol in 2001. With the support of Rabbi Felicia Sol, Rabbi Rebecca Weintraub, and Hazzan Ari Priven, Roly led the vibrant, diverse BJ community until his retirement as Rosh Kehillah on June 30, 2026. Rabbi Roly Matalon now holds the lifelong position of Rabbi Emeritus at BJ.  Rabbi Matalon is a founding co-director of Piyut North America (now Global Piyut Music), a partnership between B’nai Jeshurun and Invitation to Piyut in Israel, which is dedicated to the dissemination of liturgical music from Jewish communities around the world. A student of Arabic and Turkish music, Rabbi Matalon plays the oud (Arabic lute). Rabbi Matalon and his wife have two daughters and two grandsons.

Rabbi Felicia Sol

Rabbi Sol has served as a rabbi at BJ since 2001, becoming the first woman to serve as a rabbi in the congregation’s almost 200-year history. In July 2026, she was appointed Rosh Kehillah (Head of the Community), also a first in the congregation’s history. After two years under the mentorship of Rabbis J. Rolando Matalon and Marcelo Bronstein, Rabbi Sol joined her teachers in their rabbinic partnership. During her 25-year tenure as a rabbi at BJ, Rabbi Sol has overseen the programmatic vision for the community for members of every age: transforming the teen program; creating the beloved Women’s retreat; leading the community’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and envisioning the communal Back Home Shabbaton. Mentoring over 20 BJ Rabbinic fellows in and beyond their time at BJ is one of the great privileges of her rabbinate. Her service to the Jewish community goes beyond BJ: serving on the board of Bend the Arc for 15 years, and as a member of the rabbinic council of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. She is a graduate of the Clergy Leadership of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality, and is currently in the 8th cohort of the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Raised in Connecticut, Rabbi Sol has a son and a daughter and lives on the Upper West Side.

Rabbi Rebecca Weintraub

Rabbi Rebecca Weintraub completed her studies at the Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Boston, where she was ordained in June 2020. She joined B'nai Jeshurun's spiritual leadership in July 2020. She was previously the rabbinic intern at Temple Emunah in Lexington, MA, and Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle, NY.

Hazzan Ari Priven